You Found Me
by midgitchic
Summary: Lacey, a fierce survivor, meets Glenn on a roadway and he convinces her to join the group at the quarry. She goes, knowing she won't fit in but somehow she finds comfort in the form of Daryl Dixon. Daryl/OC
1. An Unlikely Pairing

**Welcome everyone! This is 'You Found Me' version 2.0! I'm so very sorry this has taken so long but better late than never right? I also felt a little inspired after the new episode last night. I've got a lot of ideas for all the seasons, including some of my favorite character deaths. I hope I can make good on my ideas and please you guys. **

**As usual, if you find any mistakes or have anything you think would be kind of cool to incorporate then drop me a note! Thank you!**

Lacey ducked into the SUV, searching for anything of use; cigarettes, blankets, ammo. She'd been lucky so far, finding more than enough- rednecks were always well supplied and kept guns on them at all times. Since fleeing West Virginia, she'd found more than a few colts, a Smith and Wesson, a Beretta, and even a Remington. She took a second to thank God for rednecks. She'd also made a good haul on liquor and medicine. She always needed stuff like that; especially alcohol.

Finding nothing in the fancy SUV she moved on to a beat up Ford and pulled the driver door open. The smell of rotting flesh assaulted her nose and a faint moan made her grab her machete out of instinct. Sitting in the passenger seat was one of those nasty fuckers seat belted in. Lacey laughed and drove her machete through its skull.

She strode around to the passenger side and pulled the walker out, throwing it to the asphalt before opening the glove box. She found a box of shells and some chap stick before freezing. She heard footfalls coming up behind her; steady, living strides. Lacey slowly reached for the gun in the waistband of her jeans, more weary of the living than the dead. She gently flicked the safety and spun around aiming her glock in the face of a scrawny looking Asian.

"Whoa, hey," He choked staring horrified at the gun aimed right between his eyes.

"What da ya want? And I'm giving you one warning; I have no problem leaving you for those fuckers."

"I'm just looking for supplies. I-I'm staying with a group near Atlanta- please don't kill me!"

Lacey laughed and lowered her gun, obviously the terrified kid wasn't a threat if he was nearly pissing himself. She lit a cigarette before saying, "Calm down kid, I'm not gonna kill you. Sit and I'll get you something to eat- you're so skinny it's kind of disgusting."

Glenn slowly nodded and sat, slightly intimidated by the redheaded mini Rambo. He felt he could trust her though, whether it was the fact that she was armed to the teeth or that she was smiling warmly at him now, he wasn't sure. He accepted the can of soup and watched her sit cross legged on the hood of and old Toyota, feeling grateful that she was kind even if she did point a gun at his head. He swallowed his mouthful of soup before saying, "Thanks. I'm Glenn by the way- besides my group you're the first living person I've seen since getting out of Atlanta."

"You're lucky it was just me you met then; I've ran into some pretty nasty groups. People have changed and not for the better," Lacey said and Glenn noticed the dark almost sad look that passed over her face.

Glenn shook his head and was quiet for a time before saying, "I don't suppose you'd come and join our group? We're good people but most of us are women and kids and we don't have a lot of survival stuff. We just go with what we got."

Lacey thought it over; it wasn't like she had anyone left in this world- everyone was dead. Sure she'd had some bad experiences but this kid nearly lost his shit when she pointed a gun at him. Glenn didn't have a weapon with him as far as she could tell which either meant he was fast or stupid. Weighing her options she finally nodded and stood up, Glenn scrambling to follow. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and motioned for Glenn to follow her.

"One condition- I can leave whenever I want to. If by some chance I feel threatened or unsafe with your people I get to pack my shit and leave. I've done just fine on my own so far and if you guys are a bunch of idiots then I'm out- agree," Lacey said, keeping her eyes ahead.

Glenn nodded and muttered out a 'yeah' and Lacey smirked before continuing, "Good. Now take the baseball bat out of my duffle bag. I'm not going anywhere with a defenseless guy."

Glenn did as she told and watched her walk ahead of him, momentarily stunned. Even covered in dirt and blood, she was attractive, armed to the teeth, and smirking in the middle of the apocalypse. She still had curves and Glenn felt his cheeks heat up when he saw her rather large chest. She was dressed modest enough, showing no excess skin, even in the Georgia heat, wearing a pair of tight cargo pants stuffed into brown boots and once-upon-a-time white wife beater. Her dark red hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head and the only thing that marred her features was a puckered scar covering part of her face. Glenn wondered where it came from; it certainly wasn't fresh.

"I-I didn't catch your name," Glenn said coming up beside her.

"Never told you," Lacey smirked, "But it's Lacey."

"Well it's nice to officially meet you. Where are you from?"

"Does it matter now?"

Glenn didn't reply, not sure whether he should push the question or let it go, but since he was still kind of afraid of her he felt best to keep himself intact and not push it, letting them lapse into silence. Lacey kept her eyes ahead, looking for walkers and potential shelter for the night. She'd never been a huge talker, preferring to work alone, and groaned when Glenn spoke again.

"Have you been by yourself this whole time?"

Lacey grunted and Glenn was sure that was all the answer he was going to get before she softly answered, "I was with my younger sister."

"H-how old was she," He asked automatically knowing she was long dead.

Lacey gritted her teeth really not wanting to discuss that but said, "Fifteen; just a fucking kid."

There was another silence before Glenn said, "So you must not be that old then. What are you, 22; 23?"

Lacey snorted before full out laughing making Glenn look at her in surprise. Her laugh was deep and full, clearly she was amused. "I'm thirty- one thank you very much."

Glenn opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Lacey shushing him; up ahead was one lone walker, blood dripping from its face, obviously having made dinner from the remains of a body not far from it. Lacey grinned and winked at Glenn saying, "We got a live one," before pulling out her machete and striding forward. He had no choice but to watch her slink away, making no noise as she calmly walked up to the walker. It lunged at her and she struck, driving the blade down into its skull like it was nothing. He was awestruck and a little disturbed at her brute strength and uncaring attitude at killing.

Glenn snapped his mouth shut when Lacey motioned him forward and he watched her wipe her machete on the walkers clothing before bending over, searching the pockets for anything of use. She found a blood stained lighter and stuck it in her own pocket before moving on to the car nearby where she scavenged a pack of smokes and some Tylenol. Lacey muttered 'fuck yeah', did an arm pump, and spun around when she heard Glenn laughing. She rolled her eyes and said, "Come on then."

They walked in silence, both lost in their own thoughts, till the sun was lowering and a suburb came into view. There was trash littered everywhere and Lacey led Glenn in that direction, killing lone walkers with her machete as they appeared. When they got a little closer Lacey said, "We can stop here for tonight. I don't go out after dark. These fuckers don't sleep and I can't see worth a shit to go walking without tripping."

They picked a house in the middle of the row to keep from human eyes and hopefully away from the walkers roaming on the outskirts of the small neighborhood. It was one of the larger houses but it was the only one with the windows still intact and the front door was still locked. Lacey frowned and said,

"People who were here either locked the door when they left or they're still in there. Either way, cover me while I pick the lock."

Glenn nodded and Lacey sat her backpack down, reaching into it and pulling out a little case. Glenn couldn't help but watch as she set to work on the door, working with a quickness and ease that made him sure she'd done this many times. Finally they heard a little click and Lacey grinned, satisfied with her skills and stood, grabbed her backpack and hatchet, and motioned Glenn to follow her in.

Lacey motioned him to close the door and as soon as it was closed she loudly said, "All the nasty fuckers please come forward."

There was silence and just when Glenn started to relax, he heard shuffling feet and then a body came crashing down the stairs. He jumped but Lacey just stood there waiting, small smirk on her face. The corpse of a nicely dressed woman pulled itself up, pearls dangling from its neck.

"You've got a purty mouth," Lacey grinned before slicing through the air with the hatchet, cleaving the walkers head cleanly in two, splashing blood and brains all over the floor. She took a step back and said, "Oops; that's gonna leave a stain."

Glenn just stared open mouthed at her; how could she be taking so much joy in this? Lacey saw his face and rolled her eyes for what she felt was the hundredth time since she met him, before saying, "Chill. I'm not completely insane. Some people deal with this by crying; I deal by laughing and killing things. Now help me move our little rich bitch outside."

Glenn closed his mouth and, although touching walkers wasn't his favorite thing, helped Lacey heave the woman outside before clearing the house. Then they locked the door, shoving a bookcase in front of it, and closing all the blinds in the house.

Lacey left Glenn standing in the living room staring around him as the electric came on and Lacey bounded in the room, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"They have hot water and food," She exclaimed and Glenn was rooted to the spot seeing how happy she was. "I'm making dinner!"

Later that night, both freshly bathed and in clean clothes, they sat in the living room, Lacey staring at Glenn with a bottle of vodka in her hands. Both had eaten a hot meal of canned soup and some pizza rolls Lacey found in the freezer. The owners had stocked up on food but hadn't lived long enough to eat it. Glenn scanned his eyes over Lacey, getting a good look now that she was finally clean and too busy drinking to scare him. She was still young looking and beautiful but the scar on her face looked like tough leather.

He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the rage he was most likely going to receive for his question, "Where'd your scar come from?"

Lacey tensed before raising the bottle back to her lips and taking a long draw.

"Someone ironed my face when I was a teenager."

Glenn's face twisted into a look of horror and Lacey shrugged, not offering up any more information. Instead she offered the bottle to him and he hesitantly took a drink. The alcohol burned down his throat and he coughed, sending Lacey into a fit of giggles. He laughed too and took another drink before passing it back.

"So where were you when shit hit the fan," She asked, her dark green eyes staring through him.

Glenn cleared his throat and said, "Pizza delivery guy in Atlanta. I did some other stuff too but none of it was particularly legal- you know dumb kid stuff."

Lacey laughed again, "You; illegal stuff? Holy shit, I'd of never guessed a little nerd like you would do anything but watch porn or something."

Glenn's cheeks heated up and to change the subject he asked, "Where were you at then?"

Her face turned serious and she said, "Home with my sister. I was a nurse. We were sitting at home and the phone rang. It was one of my co-workers. Told me shit had hit the fan and to not go outside. Then I heard a gunshot and the line went dead. I got my sister, packed a bag, and hauled ass outta there. We lived in big city and liked to never got out. Roads were jammed so finally we just got out and started walkin'.

Glenn nodded and Lacey glanced out the window at the moon high in the sky before looking Glenn over, noticing the bags under his eyes. "Go get some rest, Glenn," Lacey said, taking another sip of her vodka.

"What about you," Glenn asked, wanting to sleep but noticing the dark circles and weary frown. Lacey shrugged, "I don't sleep much anymore; nightmares."

Glenn sighed, unsure about leaving her alone but eventually he stood, stretching his hands above his head, and went upstairs. During the night Glenn laid, not able to sleep even though he was exhausted, thinking of Lacey. She was the strangest person he'd ever met- even before the end of the world. Just in one day he'd seen that she was a total bad ass but there were moments when she'd genuinely smile at him and tell him tidbits of her life before. She was also a survivor and he had a respect for her continuing on even after losing her sister.

He wasn't sure when he fell asleep but when he rose again the sun was still low on the horizon. He ran a hand over the small amount of stubble that had gathered on his face before pulling on his shoes and going down to the living room. Lacey was sitting in the same spot he'd left her in, cigarette dangling from her lips, a small whetstone in her hand, and knives scattered around her.

"Those are bad for you, ya know," He joked and she smiled up at him before stubbing it out. "I know. Old habits die hard though." Glenn laughed and wondered into the kitchen where he found all the cans sitting on the counter. Apparently Lacey had been busy last night. He grabbed two cans of fruit and opened them, taking some spoons into living room with him.

They traveled well into the day again, talking about life before mostly. Lacey didn't usually dwell on before; it was too painful for her. After things went down, she felt more at home in the world, hardly anyone stared at her scar and she didn't have to answer to anyone for what she was doing.

She didn't say much while they walked, too intent on watching around them, but she listened intently to what he was saying. Before all of this he had a mom and dad just like all the normal kids and an older brother who was everything he wasn't.

"I almost hated him, you know? He went to college, got a great job, had a huge house. And then there was me- college dropout, working at a pizza place, living in a rundown apartment, hot- wiring cars for extra cash."

Lacey snorted, "Yeah but look who's still alive. People didn't give us credit before but when it comes down to it, we're the ones who survive. The ones who aren't afraid to push it and who had to do things they never wanted to do because they were desperate."

Glenn nodded and knew that she was really talking about herself but didn't push her to say anything else. Instead they walked through the day and just when Lacey opened her mouth to offer stopping for the night Glenn said,

"I see the road to the quarry up there. It's only a couple of miles once we get to that road and it's safe. We should be OK to walk."

Lacey nodded and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She was nervous. This was the first group she would've been with in quite some time and she was sure they would give her strange looks and ask questions that she didn't want to answer. Lacey didn't voice her concerns, just took a deep breathe and braced herself for the inevitable meeting.


	2. Maybe

**Hello everyone! This is a shorter chapter because I'm really trying to flush out the next few chapters. I want there to be more Daryl/Lacey interactions before I really get back into where my previous story left off. I'm thinking it'll probably be six or seven chapters before we really pick up where the show starts but it could be more or less depending on if I cut out some scenes or add to them. **

**Thanks for reading everyone! Enjoy!**

As they walked up the hill, Lacey's nerves started getting to her. She wasn't afraid they wouldn't take her. If they just turned her away she'd be lucky. The worst case scenario was that they hold her against her will or take all of her weapons and kill her. She fingered the knife under her shirt but made refused to let herself hang onto it. As long as they didn't see her as a threat, she should be alright.

Glenn noticed her biting her lip and said, "Don't worry. They're all really great people and you'll get to sleep, safe for once, and we have food. I bet they'll let you go on runs with me if we ask. Shane has to clear it though- he doesn't usually like girls going on runs."

Lacey stopped in her tracks and glared at Glenn, "You didn't tell me your leader was an asshole."

"He's not. He's just a little set in his ways. He was a cop before all this."

"Well I'll tell you one thing, right now, Glenn. I don't cook and I don't do laundry or any of that domestic shit. I'll hunt, go on runs, whatever, but if he denies me that then I'm leaving."

Glenn nodded and said, "You just tell Shane that. I'm sure he'll listen."

They spent the rest of the walk in silence and after about an hour they reached the first car. Lacey followed close behind Glenn and took a deep breath. A blond girl ran up to Glenn and started chattering at him before abruptly stopping and looking at Lacey.

"Hi! I'm Amy," She exclaimed, throwing her arms around the dirty woman. Lacey froze and felt her eyes go wide.

"Amy! Amy, where'd you-" Said another woman coming into view. The two were obviously related judging by the blond hair and identical blue eyes. The woman stopped in her tracks and smiled before saying, "And who might you be?"

Lacey finally shrugged Amy off and said, "I'm Lacey."

"I'm Andrea and it seems like you've already met my sister. C'mon, let's go find Shane."

Lacey didn't move until Glenn elbowed her. Then she let Amy drag her over to an RV where a black haired man was standing. He raked his eyes up and down Lacey's frame and she felt her skin crawling. She knew that look well and felt the urge to cover herself. She swallowed her discomfort and waited for him to extend his hand, which she didn't take.

He dropped his hand but kept the smile on his face saying, "I'm Shane. It's nice to meet you, miss," He said trailing off at the end, waiting for her to offer her name.

"Lacey," she said, not offering up any more information. An irritated look crossed onto Shane's face and Glenn spoke up,

"I invited her to come here. She's been on her own since her sister died. She's good with weapons and she knows her way around as well as I do. She was also a nurse. We can't turn her away, Shane."

In all truth the only weapons he'd seen her use thus far was a machete and a hatchet but she moved with such skill that he was sure she could use almost anything to kill with. But what Shane didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

A moment of silence passed before Shane nodded, "Alright, you're more than welcome to stay here but we have rules and chores that gotta be done. Men take watch usually and the ladies keep up with the food and kids."

"No," Lacey said, shaking her head, "I don't do kids and I'll do my own laundry. I'll take watch and hunt but don't except me to play the defenseless housewife."

Shane cocked his head to the side and let out a chuckle. "Well it looks like you have plenty of weapons but do you know how to use them?"

Lacey was shocked by his insinuation but smirked and pointed to a leaf a good distance away and picked her favorite knife out from under her shirt and snapped it at the leaf. A few seconds later there was a thud as the knife tore the leaf from the branch and lodged into the tree bark. There was silence all around, as most of the camp had gathered around to watch.

But Lacey wasn't done. She unzipped her duffle bag and pulled out a hand gun and pointed to another leaf farther away and pulled the trigger smiling at the loud crack it made and turned to face Shane, satisfied with the look of awe on his face.

"I think I know what I'm doing," Lacey said, putting her gun away and walking over to get her knife out of the tree. When she turned around Glenn was grinning, giving her thumbs up, making her laugh. The sound of her laughter snapped most of the group out of their stupor. A young boy broke away from his mother and followed Amy, who was running to fling her arms around Lacey.

Lacey ducked out of the way of Amy's arms, not one for hugs, and met face to face with the little boy who was smiling up her in such a way she couldn't help but give him a small smile in return.

"That was so cool," He exclaimed, "I'm Carl, what's your name?"

"I'm Lacey. It's nice to meet you Carl."

Carl grinned and took her hand, dragging her over to a thin worried looking woman, who was eyeing Lacey warily, but smiling all the same. Lacey looked the woman over, noting she wasn't armed, and felt a knot forming in her stomach. Where any of the women armed?

"I'm Lori," She said extending her hand. This time Lacey took the offered hand and smiled at her. There was no sense in trying to be a hard ass to this woman- she could already tell there wasn't too much backbone in her.

"You look exhausted, Lacey. Let me take you to Dale. He has extra tents and sleeping bags in his RV," Lori said, leading Lacey to an older man who was bent under the head of the RV. Lori cleared her throat and he wiped his hands saying, "It's lovely to have a new face."

Lacey felt herself give a small grin and said, "What's wrong with your RV?"

"There's a hose that's been giving me quite the problem."

"Mind if I take a look," Lacey asked, grabbing some duct tape out of her bag, "I might be able to help. Duct tape fixes everything."

Dale chuckled and Lacey set to work wrapping tape around the broken hose. She was almost done when she felt a hand on her ass. Dale started spluttering but before he could get a complete word out, Lacey spun around, swinging and nailing the guy and knocking him down. She flung one of her knives between the guy's legs, landing an inch below his baby maker.

"Hey now, I was just coming over to say hi, sugar tits; no need to go Rambo," The guy, Merle, she heard someone say behind her say, was grinning up at her, rubbing his jaw where he could feel a bruise forming.

"Just be glad I didn't spear your dick there, _sugar tits_," Lacey said turning around.

Merle tackled her rolled them over, raising a hand to strike her, saying, "Now ol' Merle don't like being talked to like that, bitch."

She waited for him to bring his hand down but the strike never came. An attractive man with a dirty face and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen, pulled Merle off of her. Lacey watched Merle push the guy off and laugh. He looked at her and said, "This here's my baby brother. He's a little pussy."

Lacey stood and raised an eyebrow, surprised anyone would take that 'cause she sure as hell wouldn't. When all the brother did was stare at her with a pinched expression she smirked, saying, "Dunno about that, takes more balls to take shit than it does to spew it outta your dirty mouth."

She then offered the brother a small smile before walking towards the RV door where Amy and Carl were watching, mouths wide open. "Might want to close your mouths before the flies get in," Lacey said laughing.

"That was so cool," Carl exclaimed, looking up at Lacey in awe, "Will you teach me how to throw knives?"

"That's a question for your momma, not me," She said and Carl ran off to find his mom. When he was out of earshot, Amy let out a low whistle.

"I can't believe you just did that! Nobody fucks with Merle Dixon."

Lacey shrugged, "Like I care- That shit don't fly with me. Sometimes the only way to get a dickhead like that to leave you alone is to be just as mean." Amy wrapped an arm around Lacey and Lacey groaned, shrugging off the arm saying, "Ok that's enough of that."

Amy rolled her eyes, undeterred by Lacey's rejection, determined to get through to Lacey, and said, "Let's get you a place to sleep. I know we have an extra tent somewhere." Lacey nodded and half-heartedly listened as Amy chattered away, leading her into the RV and digging in a small closet, finally pulling out a small tent and a sleeping bag.

"Thanks," Lacey said, fully intent on leaving Amy behind so she could find a good place to sleep on the outskirts of camp. Amy followed behind her keeping quiet till she saw where Lacey was going to put her tent. "You're scared aren't you," Amy asked, putting a hand on Lacey's shoulder.

She felt Lacey sag a little under her hand and nearly missed it when she whispered, "maybe," before kneeling down and getting started on her temporary home. Amy stood for a moment, brows furrowed, watching Lacey but took the hint and left her to her own devices.


	3. Shouldn't Have

**I know, I know- I'm really slow. My life has been an absolute shit show recently- we had two people quit at work so I'm pulling more than 40 hours and my car went to shit on my way to the store (keep in mind that I live 80 miles from the nearest grocery store). I'm also gearing up for my next season in Alaska where I work in the commercial fishing industry. I leave for that at the end of April so I'm trying to pump out as many chapters as I can through my small writers block because when I'm in Alaska I have no internet and no phone and I'm gone till the end of August or October.**

**Sorry this is a long note and shorter chapter. I have the next chapter almost finished so it should be up soon and it's a little bit longer. Thanks guys and enjoy!**

The next few days passed in a quiet haze, Lacey getting used to being around so many people again. It was strange to have so many people talking to her and she was almost used to Amy's chipper, insistent pestering, even letting the girl braid her hair after a trip to the cool quarry to bathe.

She and Merle had even reached an odd friendship of sorts. He'd say something sexist and she'd call him a name and then they'd laugh. Most people in camp were still weary of her though for her friendship with Merle but Lacey couldn't care less; Merle was one of the true threats in the group. Him and Shane and Lacey wanted nothing to do with the latter man.

Sometimes she'd catch Shane looking when he thought she wasn't paying attention, feeling his eyes grate up and down her body, and it made her sick. Lacey knew he was sleeping with Lori, it was obvious to anyone who cared to look. She would watch Shane slink after Lori into the woods and then an hour later they'd both reappear, smiling but Lori wouldn't meet his eyes.

Lacey didn't know what day it was when she awoke; hell it didn't even matter, but she wished she knew. The sky was slowly brightening and she knew that she should get up. She'd taken a watch the other night but other than that she'd spent her time mostly alone when Amy wasn't bothering her. Lacey felt restless, spending her days wondering around and finally she'd had enough of it.

She grabbed her usually weapons; knives, gun, and hatchet. Lacey had dumped her backpack out and grabbed the things she would need for trap setting and left her small tent. Glenn was on watch and waved to her from the RV. She returned the wave and made her way to the woods not far from her tent.

Lacey felt at home in the woods, away from company. She'd slept better the last few nights than she had since the dead started walking but sometimes she wondered if it was worth it. Most of those people were going to die in the next few months so did she really need to be here- and let them drag her down? She was pushing it already; she liked Glenn and Amy and Carl and Dale and hell, even Carol wasn't too bad if you could get her talking. Hopefully none of them would die.

She was setting up her third trap when she heard movement behind her. She grabbed one of her knives and swung around. There was a grunt and they both fell to the soft forest floor. Lacey dropped her knife and her eyes widened when she saw she was on top of the one and only, Daryl Dixon.

They stayed silent for a few moments, neither too comfortable with the position they were in but both secretly enjoying the feeling of someone of the opposite sex, who was alive, touching them. Suddenly she adverted her eyes from his own stunning blues and slowly got up off of him, shyly offering her hand to help him up.

"Think ya bruised my ass," Daryl grumbled, not meeting the woman who'd kept popping into his mind's eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not used to live people anymore," Lacey said, turning to look for her traps.

"You know how ta do that?"

Lacey arched an eyebrow and said, "Yeah, surprised?"

Daryl didn't say anything and an awkward silence fell on them. Finally Lacey turned and started walking away when Daryl spoke up, surprising not only her but himself as well. "Ya shouldn'ta said that to Merle the other day."

"And you shouldn't have stood there and taken it like a little bitch. I'd of beat the holy hell outta him if he'd said that about me."

Daryl grunted, "It's easier to not fight with him."

Lacey's eyes softened. She knew what it was like to know what was easier but her mouth never seemed to have a shut off when she was younger, leading her to multiple beatings. She also knew that Daryl wouldn't want to hear about her life before and instead gave him a small smile and said, "I'll see you around. Watch out for my traps would ya? Don't wanna hear you bitchin' later when you get caught."

She didn't stay to hear his mouthy response but he could hear her light laugh as he watched her leave. He stood there for a minute, chewing his lip, staring at the spot where she was once standing before suddenly breaking out in a smirk. He liked Lacey, not that he would ever admit it to anyone. She was just different to him and didn't treat him like he was a disease like some of the other survivors.

"Dinner's ready," came a meek voice making Lacey look up from her book. Carol was shyly peeking down at her, a hesitant smile playing on her lips. Lacey liked her for the most part but she knew things weren't great with Ed. Lacey knew battered wives syndrome quite well and Carol was a prime example.

"Alright I'm coming," Lacey said, marking her book and putting it back. It was an old copy of Harry Potter that she'd found in a house a while back. She stuck her boots on and grabbed a knife; you could never be too safe.

Dinner was a quiet affair for the most part. Carl talked animatedly at Lacey who nodded her head and grinned at him and every so often Lori would ask her small menial questions like how old she was and what she did before the world went to shit. Lacey answered just as vaguely as she could, sneaking glances over at the Dixon's tent.

After they all ate, Lacey cleared her throat, "I think it'd be a good idea to go on a run tomorrow. I stayed at a few places that had some great stuff."

"Absolutely not," said Shane, "You've only been here a few days and we have plenty of supplies. There's no use goin' and getting yourself hurt."

Lacey snorted, "I can take care of myself and I wasn't asking for permission. I wanted to see if anyone wanted to go with me."

Shane glared at her and she shrugged. He wasn't in charge of her and she wasn't defenseless. Everyone was looking between Lacey and Shane; no one really ever defied him and they weren't sure how he would take it. He opened his mouth to spit out a reply but his face turned to a scowl and Lacey heard soft footfalls behind her.

"I'll go with ya," came Daryl's gravelly voice. Lacey smirked at Shane and turned to face Daryl, "Need some shit for Merle," was all he said and Lacey nodded.

"I don't like this," Shane said, "I have half a mind to not let y'all take a car."

Daryl narrowed his eyes glancing at Lacey who's mouth was drawn into a thin line before saying, "I got the keys to _my _truck. We'll take it so you don't have to worry about yer precious cars."

Lacey felt his eyes on her and turned to see Daryl staring expectantly down at her. She stood up and grinned, "Well that settles it. You wanna leave at dawn? I don't know when we'll be back- I've got a weeks' worth of places we can go through."

Daryl just grunted and walked away. Lacey stood with an eyebrow raised, watching him walk, enjoying the view. She jumped when Amy came up beside her and said, "You so want to get it on with him." Lacey looked over at Amy and couldn't help smiling when she barked out, "Shut up."


	4. She's Only Human

**Haha! I finally got this one done! You're getting your full dose of Lacey/Daryl fun! **

**I had some down time so I powered this out and I'm pretty happy with it. I won't keep you too long with my rambling so if you find any errors or have any ideas/complaints then please feel free to let me know. And as always enjoy!**

Lacey didn't sleep very long- only about an hour- before deciding to get ready to go. She went through her bag of weapons, grabbing her most necessary weapons and piled them to the side before packing some small provisions in her back pack just in case they got stranded out there.

She routed around the floor of her tent looking for clothes. There wasn't much in the way of clean clothing so she grabbed the least grungy and pulled her boots on. Her hair was pretty nasty from not bathing so she pulled it into a tight bun out of the way and unzipped her small tent.

Lacey was walking over to Daryl's old truck but was intercepted by Amy and Glenn. She scowled at them, not exactly wanting to talk to them before she let but Amy threw her arms around Lacey and said, "Please, please be careful and don't do anything stupid."

Lacey snorted but Glenn answered for her, "Telling Lacey not to do something stupid is like asking a walker not to bite." They all shared a laugh before Glenn continued, all trace of humor gone from his dark eyes.

"You be careful. Daryl is an okay guy I think from what I know about him but I could be wrong. Keep your defenses up cause we don't want to lose you. I know you can defend yourself but we're friends and you dead would be bad."

Lacey raised an eyebrow and smirked saying, "You know, your speech was going great until the end." Amy slapped her should and Lacey sighed, "Look, I get what you're saying but I trust him and I know how to kill someone- dead or alive. Don't worry about me, just keep an eye out here. You might think you're safe here but you're never safe now. If you need a weapon, and this is just between us, I left some in my tent."

Amy gave Lacey another tearful hug and Glenn nodded, clapping a hand on her shoulder. She turned away and made way to the truck. She beat Daryl by five minutes but what she didn't know was that he had heard her conversation with her friends. He looked at her funny and Lacey narrowed her eyes trying to figure him out. She was pretty good at reading people but he was complicated. Lacey could tell he was good but there was so much on top of the good that sometimes she couldn't tell.

They rode in silence for half an hour before coming to a small town that Lacey had been to weeks ago. It was so close to the quarry that Lacey couldn't believe she hadn't run into anyone from the group. The hotel looked out of place amongst the small convenience stores and middle class houses. Lacey made him stop and do a quick sweep of the smaller stores and siphon some gas from cars she'd missed the last time.

"I cleared the hotel and I stockpiled a shit load of supplies in case I ever needed a place to go. I have it packed pretty well already but I only cleared one floor. It would probably be best if we hung around here today and just sweep the other three floors."

"Fine just don't get hurt. Chinaman would never shut up about it," Daryl said pulling the truck up over the curb and parking as close to the doors as he could get.

Lacey stopped mid reach for her bag and turned to face him, "Glenn is just a worrier and he's Korean."

"Whatever," was Daryl's reply and Lacey rolled her eyes, opening her door and grabbing her favorite machete. The street was fairly deserted of walkers except for two wondering slowly towards them. Lacey stomped towards one of them and before Daryl could call her a name she swung her machete and watched the top half of its head detach from its body and fly a few feet before splattering onto the pavement.

Daryl had his eyes narrowed before pulling out his own knife(even though he much preferred his crossbow) and striding to the other walker, lashing out with one smooth movement. Lacey watched, small smirk on her face, as the walker fell to the pavement.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to impress me Mr. Dixon."

He just grunted in reply and Lacey laughed before turning back to the Hotel's boarded up doors. She'd taken the time on her last visit to barricade it so she wouldn't have to re-clear the lobby again. Daryl looked around the empty lobby, following Lacey to the stairwell.

Lacey made her way up to the fourth floor, feeling much more secure up there. She peeked around the corner just in case something had happened- you really couldn't be too careful. Finding nothing but the ugly carpet, she led Daryl down to the end of the hall to room 225.

When she opened the door, Daryl had to admit even he was a little impressed with her. Seven boxes were neatly stacked and labeled against the wall: bedding; food; clothing; more food; medicine; weapons; random.

Lacey dropped her bag and said, "I doubt we need any more bedding. There's plenty at the quarry and this shit isn't the nicest. Keep an eye out for empty boxes and kids and men's clothing. It's mostly women's in the box."

Daryl nodded dropping his own duffle bag and walking out to the hall. Lacey followed him down to the third floor. Daryl stopped on one side of the hall and Lacey was about to go to the door opposite him when he said, "Stay behind me and let me clear it first. Don't want you getting hurt."

Lacey snorted, "Stay outta my way, Dixon. You know I can take care of myself. Don't treat me like a baby."

She strode forward and kicked the door with all her force, thanking God it was an older hotel with actual key locks. The door swung open and the unmistakable smell of rotting flesh assaulted her nose. Daryl watched through his narrowed eyes as she walked in the room, a little pissed that she wouldn't listen to him, but followed when he heard her laughing.

Hanging from the closet was a walker of a man who'd tried to opt out. "Coward," Daryl muttered and Lacey giggled again and walked up to it poking its leg saying, "Poor bastard probably made the right choice 'cause I doubt his rich ass would've made it." She picked up the Rolex from the bedside table and threw it in the guy's empty duffle bag on the bed.

They left the walker hanging, not bothering to waste the effort on killing him since he was clearly not a threat. They rummaged around for a few minutes and Daryl came up with a few bottles of pills and tossed them in the bag. Lacey looked them over, noting anti-depressants and heavy duty painkillers. She only found a bottle of shampoo and a few razors before declaring the room ransacked.

"This time I'm taking the next one and you take the one across from it," Lacey said pointing to two adjacent doors.

"No; you get killed and China-"

"He's Korean," Lacey snapped.

"Whatever- he'll bitch about it."

Lacey stopped and moved in front of Daryl standing a mere few inches from him. She could feel is body heat and warm breath on her face. She thought about taking a step back but knew that it would look stupid so instead she took a deep breath and said, "Look, if we don't split up, we'll be here for days and not all the rooms had occupants so it'll be a waste of time."

Daryl didn't want to agree but he saw the logic and fire in Lacey's eyes and didn't want to wage a war against her so he grudgingly nodded and swung around, kicking the door with so much force that it swung back and made a hole in the wall behind it. Lacey just rolled her eyes, letting him have his tantrum, and turned to her own door, kicking it in with much more finesse.

By the time they reached the rooms, Lacey was covered in blood but had pulled a decent haul of shit including a bottle of whiskey and clothes that would probably fit Lori or Amy. Daryl hadn't found a lot but did score some first aid stuff that Lacey said was definitely important to take. He'd also managed to find a clean plaid shirt and quickly changed when Lacey wasn't looking, ripping off the sleeves.

"You changed," Lacey said once they were back in their room for the night. Daryl grunted and Lacey went to the bathroom to piss and change into some new clothes of her own. She didn't bother to close the door because there was obviously no electricity and she wasn't about to pull her pants down in a small dark space.

The two ate a small dinner of Vienna sausages and apple juice before Daryl said, "I got first watch," and said in a chair he'd moved next to the window. Lacey took that as her cue and quickly disappeared to change into a fresh pair of jeans and a tank top before lying down to sleep, sliding under the blankets and pulling them up to her chin. She laid there and, although her eyes were closed, she thought about the man sitting not far from her.

He was rough around the edges and not the most talkative but he'd been much more pleasant than Merle and that was really all she could ask for. Most importantly though, Lacey felt safe with him and was sure Glenn's misgivings were completely off base.

From his spot at the window, Daryl could tell she wasn't asleep quite yet but was glad that she wasn't staring at him. It gave him a chance to look her over. Back before everything went to shit, Lacey probably wouldn't have given him the time of day and he wouldn't have even tried to talk to her. She was incredibly attractive to him but he couldn't help but ponder her scar. Daryl knew all about those and he could tell it was old and had probably ended her up in the hospital. It was large, spanning almost half of her face, and had to have hurt like a bitch on skin that tender.

_Lacey couldn't figure out where she was; it was dark, so dark, blackness almost completely surrounded her. Was she alone? She couldn't tell. She took a tentative step forward and a scream pierced though the darkness. Lacey knew that scream and launched into action screaming, "Sarah, Sarah!"_

_Running, running, more running and it seemed like she would never get to her little sister, her only family she had left. She couldn't get to her fast enough it felt like but when she found her she froze, her blood running cold._

_Sarah lay on the ground, blood seeping out of her, her stomach ripped open, entrails coming through the jagged hole in her abdomen. She was just lying there, shaking, forcing labored painful breaths._

_And then it all came rushing back to Lacey. The blackness transformed into the dim, derelict gas station where Sarah died months ago. The walker was nowhere to be seen, so much unlike that night. "No, no, no, no, please no," Lacey cried dropping to floor next to her sister. _

_Sarah lifted one pale hand, as if trying to grab Lacey and pull her to her, her eyes suddenly glazed and hungry. Lacey fell back and scooted away, going until she felt hands gripping her from the blackness behind her. Panic ran through her and violently tried to lunge out of their reach._

Lacey bolted awake, breathing hard, sweat beaded on her face. She jerkily looked around, slightly confused about where she was, jumping when she saw Daryl sitting on the bed staring at her with a hard expression. Taking a deep breath Lacey said, "I'll take over watch now. Go to sleep."

Daryl looked like he wanted to say something but though better of it and remained silent, taking Lacey spot in the bed. Thankfully it was still warm although a little damp with her sweat. He'd heard her mumbling in her sleep and had moved to wake her up when she started getting loud.

Now he watched her from his spot on the bed, feigning sleep and saw her viciously rub her eyes and try to stifle her sniffling. He watched tears leak out of her eyes and she took a deep breath exhaling and tiling her head back to look at the ceiling. _So she is human,_ Daryl thought, feeling vaguely frustrated with her small noises and the fact that he was too chicken shit to comfort her. Instead he said, "Stop crying girl; I can't sleep."

"Shut the hell up, asshole," Lacey grunted, slightly embarrassed at being caught, but kept herself silent, holding in her tears, admonishing herself for being caught.

A little while later when she though Daryl was asleep she looked out the window and did something she hadn't done in a long time; she prayed.

"Jesus, God, fuck, Buddha, whoever the hell's really there. Shit- I mean crap. I'm going to hell aren't I? I can't even pray without cussing. I'm so sorry. I've screwed up so much since the world changed. I've killed too many people- not even walkers," She sighed, "I've lost everyone, why the hell haven't you killed me? You killed my entire family, let my brother die out there alone, trying to get home to me. Then you took my Sarah- my little baby Sarah. Fifteen is too young to die and you took her.

"I know I shouldn't be mad. You've done them a favor, getting them out of this hell so they could be with mama. But now I'm completely alone and I don't have faith in this group. They don't realize how bad the world really is. Please, please, please make this group get it. They aren't bad people- well, some of them I don't know about- but they deserve to die."

Throughout her long prayer, Daryl lay awake, listening to her slow murmur. The little spit fire was strong, he'd give her that, and a little crazy but now he knew just how lost she was. He'd watched her at the quarry and she was acted tough and like none of the shit bothered her but now he saw her, saw how human she really was in that moment, staring out the window, the moonlight bathing her solemn face. She looked so sad but he knew that tomorrow she'd be the tough bitch he always saw and would keep fighting like she had a reason to. She was a natural survivor, something must've happened to her and Daryl wanted to know.


	5. Bombs Away

**Woohoo! New chapter! I know I'm a little delayed but life just gets crazier. I've started a second job so I work morning one place and graveyard at another so my life is a little nuts. But I just had to upload a new chapter in honor of the season finale tonight! I read some supposed spoilers but you never know what's going to happen. I read the comics so I already had a small idea of what was going to happen thus far but of course the show isn't as close to the comic as it could be (which is kind of good in this case). Anyway, I'm working on the next chapter and may even have it up in a few hours! This is a short one though!**

**As always enjoy!**

Lacey gasped when she saw the herd. She'd never seen so many together at once and she shrank down, watching some of them meander up to the glass, somehow smelling the traces of human before beginning to beat the glass. She knew the glass would hold for a while but they had to think of something. Lacey swore and crept over to where Daryl lay and paused, not sure whether she should wake him yet.

"Stop fucking staring at me," Daryl grunted, taking Lacey off guard for a second but she rolled her eyes and bit out, "Just thought I'd let you know there's a hoard out there trying to get in but hey, don't let me interrupt your beauty sleep."

That did the trick and Daryl was out of bed, fumbling for hit boots, glad the sun was slowly rising over the horizon, giving a little light so he didn't make a complete fool of himself although Lacey laughed when he tripped and almost fell forward onto the bed. He grunted and glared at her, picked up his cross bow and motioned for Lacey, who followed close behind.

They hurried up to the roof and Lacey held a finger to her lips and quietly walked to the edge. She heard Daryl swear under his breath, not standing a foot from her. She shook her head as she watched the herd stumble around. About twenty had wondered to the hotel window sniffing around, noses in the air, some beating the window others just milling nearby.

"That won't hold for long," Lacey said, glancing over at Daryl, "We can't fight that whole herd, we need a distraction."

Daryl grunted and looked at her expectantly.

She sighed, "I have an idea but I need some cleaning supplies."

"What, you gonna clean 'em to death, Daryl sneered and Lacey glared before saying, "Fine we can just stay here and wait if you don't want help, asshole."

"Ah get you're fucking panties out of a knot."

"Stop acting like your brother, Dixon. I don't wanna be stuck here; we need to find some cleaning shit 'cause I can make a bomb." Lacey sighed and Daryl froze, looking at her with his eyebrows raised.

"Bombs; were you a fucking terrorist or somethin'?"

"I used to do a lot of illegal things- it's a lot of fun," Lacey grunted before heading back in.

Once she found a supply closet, she grabbed a multitude of cleaning products and marched back up to the roof, dumping them on the ground and getting to work.

Daryl watched in reluctant awe as the ginger Rambo in front of him mixed cleaners, biting her lip in concentration as she tried different combinations. She smiled when she found the right mix but it was cut short by the unmistakable sound of glass breaking on the ground floor. They watched the walkers stumble into the lobby before their eyes met and she stood up, grabbing the two cleaners and walked to the edge.

"When I combine the two, throw it as far as you can that direction," Lacey said pointing away from the road out of town.

Daryl nodded and as soon as she mixed them he took the small bottle and through it as hard as he could. It didn't go as far as he would've liked but it went far enough away from them that they wouldn't get hurt by the explosion. Barely a minute later there was a loud crack and dust filled the air, small bits of rubble raining down around them. The walkers on the street turned towards the sound and hurried toward it. That only left the undead in the lobby.

"Ok, let's grab our stuff and get to the lobby. I'll make another one and I imagine we'll have about a minute to get to the truck. Think you can handle that," Lacey asked, grabbing the cleaners and hurrying to their room.

When they got to the lobby Lacey peeked out the door and shook her head. Fifteen or so walkers still meandered Lacey smirked at Daryl, "Ready Dixon," she asked.

Daryl grunted and she quickly mixed the chemicals and prepared for the dash to the front doors. Taking a deep breath, she raised her arm and thought, _Ah shit, please let this work,_ before opening the door and throwing the make shift bomb, drawing some of the walkers attention as it landed with a thud.

They took off, Lacey with the keys, making a mad dash through the lobby, dodging the corpses that had noticed the fresh meat among them. One walker lunged for Daryl and Lacey pulled a knife and threw it, nailing it in the head. Daryl bulked for a moment, angry at her for wasting a good knife but let it go since it wasn't exactly an opportune time for a fight.

Daryl made it to the truck first and grabbed Lacey, shoving her in the cab before throwing himself on top of her. Lacey pulled him tight against her, wrapping her arms around his head and neck just at the explosion happened. They heard rubble beating against the truck and a rather large piece of concrete smashed the driver's window, shattering glass over the pair.

When the noise stopped, Daryl slowly looked at Lacey who was still hanging onto him, her eyes staring at the hood of the cab, chest heaving against his own racing heart. When her eyes finally met his she smiled, a tired but satisfied smile, before saying, "How's that for scrubbing them to death?"

Daryl smirked in response and sat up, glass tinkling all around them, and looked around. The street was mostly deserted now but smoke was billowing from the hotel, flames licking the bricks. He saw a few body parts strewn around and took a moment to thank God that they'd loaded everything up the day before.

Lacey nudged him, making Daryl look down at her and she handed him the keys. He slowly moved off of her and grabbed her arm. A large burn was splayed across her arm. Daryl jerked her towards him, making her hiss and drag herself forward.

"It's fine," she said, pulling her arm back and scrutinizing it as if it were a huge nuisance.

"There's peroxide in the back; clean that up when we stop," Daryl said, starting the truck and peeling away from the hotel, nailing a walker that had wondered around the corner.

Lacey tried to stay awake but a few minutes into the drive, once her adrenaline had worn off, she felt the exhaustion overwhelm her and her head began dropping. She fought it for a few minutes before Daryl said, "Jesus woman, just go to sleep."

Lacey shook her head vehemently, "I don't want to sleep."

There was a moment of silence before Daryl grunted, "Whatever."

Lacey tried to stay awake but the exhaustion started to overcome her and felt her head drooping. She fought it for a few minutes before Daryl said, "Just go to sleep." Lacey shook her head vehemently, "I don't want to sleep." There was a moment of silence before Daryl grunted, "Whatever."

At some point during their drive, Lacey did indeed fall asleep and Daryl didn't notice until her head thunked against the still intact passenger window. "Hardheaded bitch," Daryl mumbled and felt his lips turn up at her. He didn't know her very well but she piqued his interest and he had a feeling that they would've even gotten along before shit went down. Daryl gave her one last sideways look before letting her sleep.


	6. If I Get Bit

**See, two in one night! I'm feeling very inspired tonight since the finale. I have so many scenes already written and envisioned in my head for different parts in all the seasons. It's just all the in between that I have trouble with. What did everyone think of the finale?! I was more than a little disappointed, I have to say. I was hoping for action and answers but instead I got very little action (besides Daryl of course) and no answers to anything important.**

**Anyway as always enjoy and Review if you so choose :)**

Daryl let Lacey sleep as long as he could but didn't have any idea where he was going. He almost regretted having to wake her because he realized she probably hadn't slept more than two or three hours since they left camp. Lacey jerked up when he shook her shoulder and it took her a moment to get her bearings.

"Need to know where I'm going," He said and Lacey took a quick look around before saying, "Take a left up here and go about ten miles. It's just a small cluster of houses."

True to her word, they soon pulled back onto that street she'd stayed in only a few days before. Lacey turned to the house she and Glenn had stayed in and motioned for Daryl to pull over. They did a quick sweep to make sure no unexpected guests had wondered in. Thankfully the house was still clear.

"This house had running water and electricity so I suggest we sleep here," Lacey said, checking the windows to make sure they were still locked.

They cleared houses all day only getting through five or six and had packed the truck bed as much as they could. Together they found cans upon cans of food and boxes of dried shit that Lacey wouldn't have touched before all this, preferring to make her own food. Daryl had also filled trash bags with clothes and sheets at Lacey's request, knowing that they were always good to keep in case they couldn't wash their mucked up clothes.

At sunset they took some bungee cords and tied down all the new stuff in the truck bed before heading into the house for the night. While Daryl showered, Lacey cooked them as fancy a meal as she could with some canned beef stew and instant rice. She looked in the cabinets and found two shelves filled with spices and she took the time to clear it out, putting them all in bags, thinking that maybe Lori and Carol would appreciate it.

When Daryl came down, she smiled at his attire. He was out of his normal jeans, instead wearing loose fitted sweats and a t-shirt that was a little tight, obviously making him a bit uncomfortable. Daryl grunted, "Shut up," causing Lacey to giggle, and they ate in silence before Daryl said, "Go take a shower so you can clean your hand up." Lacey looked down in confusion and finally felt the sharp throbbing. From all the work they'd been doing and in her own exhaustion, she's completely forgotten it. She excused herself and took a shower, enjoying the hot water streaming over her filthy body. While she scrubbed her stomach she found a familiar scar and was momentarily lost in her thoughts.

It was a nasty looking thing from one of mother's husbands. He'd burned her one night in a usual fight. She'd taken it in place of her mother who was pregnant at the time. He was also the sick bastard who'd ironed her face not long after.

Lacey felt more at ease after her shower than she had since she lost her sister. She felt so relaxed that she even let herself put on a pair of shorts and a tank top before making her way down the stairs, running her finger through her long red hair, mind set on having Amy cut it when they got back.

She froze when she walked into the living room. Daryl was bent over an old record player, swearing under his breath. Lacey laughed a little and came up beside him, gently pulling his hand off the machine saying, "My mother had one of these. We didn't have a lot of money growing up so this was one of our only entertainments."

Daryl watched her intently, a little surprised by her gentle actions, used to her being as stoic and sarcastic as himself. Lacey got it working and smiled when Patsy Cline came through the speakers. She turned to face him and was surprised by the intensity in his eyes as he stared at her, smirking.

"Do you know Patsy Cline," She asked and Daryl nodded, grabbing her shoulder, pulling her over to the couch.

"Need to fix yer hand; stay," he grunted, walking off in search of some first aid supplies.

Lacey shook her head, grinning softly at the change in Daryl's attitude since they left camp. He wasn't overly friendly or talkative but he'd been good to her, albeit a little grumpy. But Lacey had to admit that she was getting a soft spot for him and so she let him clean and wrap her burn.

When he was done they sat in silence before the record turned over and Lacey stood, offering her good arm to Daryl in the most formal way she knew and said, "May I have this dance?" Daryl looked up at Lacey like she was crazy and shook his head. Lacey laughed, "What? Is Mr. Dixon telling me he can't dance? Or is he just too shy? Come on, don't be a chicken Mr. Dixon," She teased sticking her tongue out at him.

Lacey turned around in a not so graceful circle and gasped when she felt Daryl grab her around the waist and pull her to him, finishing the circle. She was pleasantly surprised; she didn't honestly think that would work. "Ain't no fucking chicken," Daryl mumbled, making Lacey laugh.

"Well I'm glad you can dance 'cause I sure as hell can't," She said, laughing and letting him twirl her around.

The next song that played was slow and Lacey felt Daryl tense, obviously out of his comfort zone, but she paid it no mind. She was enjoying herself and Daryl couldn't have hated it that much or he would've stopped. So instead she said, "I didn't think you'd know who Patsy Cline was." Daryl twirled her around before answering, "'O course I do. Grew up with that shit. To tell the truth I was shocked you knew who she was- you're a little young."

Lacey snorted, "I'm thirty-one, thank you very much. I'm probably not that much younger than you."

"Nah you're not," Daryl said. Then after a few moments of silence he grunted, "How'd you get that scar on yer face?"

Lacey sighed and Daryl felt her muscles tighten. For a second he though she wouldn't answer but then she laid her head on his shoulder and said, "Well my mom was married a lot. Mine was the second- total dead beat. Left when I was nine. The third was a beater. I was fifteen or sixteen and my mother was pregnant with my little sister, Sarah.

"One day I was helping my mom with laundry- she was ironing. He came in drunk and started trying to wail on her. I pushed her out of the way and he managed to get a hold of the iron and held me down and basically did this. We had to wait for him to leave before we could go to the neighbor's and have them take me to the hospital. He never gave us keys to any of the cars."

Daryl was sorry he asked. He had a feeling she'd had it rough but that was just disgusting that someone would do that Sure he'd been beaten but he'd never had anything more than a cigarette burn. At least she'd gotten to a hospital though and got taken care of a little bit but he was sure the damage had been done before she got there. He gave an uncharacteristic sigh and said, "Yer tough as shit lady."

Lacey smiled and then did something that surprised not only Daryl but herself as well. She got up on her toes and kissed his cheek before saying, "Thank you Daryl."

It suddenly struck Daryl that this was the first time she'd ever said his first name. Every other time she referred to him she'd called him Dixon, Mr. Dixon, or asshole, but he liked the way his name sounded coming from her, not that he would ever admit that to anyone.

Eventually the record ended and he extracted himself from Lacey and said, "Sleep. I'll take first watch."

She shook her head. Even though she was exhausted she didn't want to face her nightmares again, especially since she was running on an emotional high at the moment. Daryl just gave an irritated sigh and threw a pillow and blanket onto the couch, motioning for her to lay down.

Lacey didn't argue but narrowed her eyes up at him as she got comfortable. Daryl shrugged and turned off the light before slowly sliding down to the floor, sitting in front of the couch. He didn't turn his head to speak but said, "I'll keep watch right here. Ya need to sleep, I bet the car today was the most sleep you've had since we left camp."

"Actually I haven't slept more than a few hours since I met up with Glenn," Lacey said, exhaustion creeping into her voice. Daryl grunted in reply and Lacey let herself drift to sleep, praying that if she did have a nightmare that she at least wouldn't wake up screaming.

_The house was beautiful. Lacey didn't recognize it but it was very much her style- modern yet classic. It was her dream house. She walked from the living room to the sleek modern kitchen and was entranced by the stainless steel fridge where pictures were hung. She stared at the Polaroids. She was in them and so was Daryl and in between them was a baby boy._

_Lacey knew this was a dream. She'd never wanted or liked kids nor did she know Daryl before all this shit. She leaned on the counter thinking, when she heard cries from the upstairs and slowly made her way, following the small wails._

_Before she got to the door, she could smell the metallic scent of blood and willed herself to start but no matter how much she told herself to stop she kept moving. Daryl was leaning over the crib, digging in the folds of the sheets. Lacey told herself not to look but she moved forward anyway. _

_Her heart broke when Daryl turned to face her. His eyes were glazed over, face covered in blood. His hands were bathed in red and bits of pink; flesh. In his hands was the baby, still alive just barely, its small entrails strewn around it, dangling. One of its arms was bent at an odd angle and its eyes were wide with incomprehensible fear and pain._

_Daryl dropped the baby to the side, silencing the pitiful cries. His eyes were full of hunger, blood dribbling down his front. He lunged for her and she felt his grasp on her arm, raising it to his pale bloodied face._

_"No," Lacey screamed, trying to fight but she couldn't move, "Daryl please no!"_

Daryl heard her whimper and mumble his name. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion and he put a hand on her arm. As soon as he touched her she screamed. From outside there was the unmistakable moan of a walker and he launched into action, putting his hand over Lacey's mouth, pulling her onto the floor with him.

Lacey jerked out of her sleep, fighting whatever was on top of her. Daryl shushed her and she felt tears prick her eyes. There was no blood dripping from his mouth, no teeth gnashing at her skin, and no dead babies. She took a deep steadying breath, instantly ceasing her assault on him. Daryl let her go for a moment and let her have a minute to get herself together. He hated crying but he knew she couldn't control it.

"There's a walker outside, drew it with yer screaming," Daryl whispered.

"Sorry," Lacey grunted but otherwise kept quiet, letting Daryl hold her close, enjoying the warmth he gave off, praying that the walker would leave.

Honestly she was a little surprised at the position they were in. Daryl was partially on top of her, one hand resting across her chest, the other under her, holding her in place. If there wasn't a walker outside, Lacey probably would've been more than a little excited, having only a few encounters with the opposite sex. After a few minutes of bated silence, the moans stopped and she felt Daryl's head drop onto her shoulder. Lacey smiled, laying one of her hands on top of his head giving it a pat.

"Ya said my name," Daryl grunted. Lacey shivered as his hot breath hit her collar bone.

"Really," she whispered and the dream came flooding back to her. She ran her fingers through his hair before saying, "I heard a baby crying so I went looking for it. You were a walker and you were trying to kill me and the baby."

Daryl stiffened on top of her and lifted his head, eyes narrowed in a glare at Lacey, "I ain't gonna be a fucking walker, Ya hear me," he spat.

Lacey pulled his head back down, feeling him growl, obviously not liking when she forced him to do something. "Tell that to my stupid brain. It's not like I want you to tear my flesh off," She snorted.

Daryl snorted against her skin, relaxing into her body. He knew he should move but she was warm and if she wasn't complaining or teasing then hell, we wouldn't cause a problem. He almost thought Lacey had fallen asleep when she suddenly spoke, timid as if she was afraid he'd get angry, "If I get bit, will you kill me?" He felt himself getting angry and grunted, "Ya ain't gonna get bit."

Lacey gave and irritated sigh, "But if it does happen, will you kill me? I don't want to be one of them."

Daryl finally nodded and tightened his arms around her a fraction but Lacey felt it and understood. Neither of them belonged in the group back at the quarry and they needed to stick together as much as they could and if he got bit, he wanted her to kill him too.


End file.
